IN BRIEF

A CONFERENCE examining the role of public services in Europe is to take place on 9 and 10 November in the European Parliament. The event will form a key part of the Socialists’ drive to get the role of such services acknowledged at next year’s Intergovernmental Conference . Health,water, transport and other public services employ 15 million people across the European Union as a whole.

European Voice

11/1/95, 5:00 PM CET

Updated 4/12/14, 12:46 AM CET

BRITISH Socialist MEP Lyndon Harrison has launched a campaign to sell the single currency to Europe’s citizens. Unhappy with the hitherto “depressingly low level” of the debate on economic and monetary union, Harrison has published a manifesto explaining “Why we need One Currency for Europe”. The leaflet spells out why a single currency would be good for business and young people and how it would create jobs.

VAHAN Papazian, Armenia’s foreign affairs minister, was grilled by MEPs during a visit tothe European Parliament this week. They questionedhim about the conflict in Nagorno-Karabakh, relations with Russiaand NATO’s planned enlargement to the East. Papazian, whose countryis currently negotiating a partnership agreementwith the Union, pledgedhis government’s commitment to democracy but admitted there was no end in sight to the conflict in the disputed enclave.

MEMBERS of the Parliament’s transport committee have approved plans drawn up by the European Commissionto introduce new EU driving licences in a credit-card format by 1July 1996. The new licences will contain photos oftheir drivers and information about his or her driving record. Boththe Commission and the Parliament hope the new smart card will stamp out forgery and facilitatepolice work.

EUROPEAN Parliament President Klaus Hänsch paid an official visit to Cyprus this week. During a three-day visit, Hänsch held talks with Cyprus’ President Glafkos Clerides and House of Representative’s President Alexis Galanos to discuss the outlook for their country’s accession to the EU. The Parliament president also met group leaders of the political parties and the mayors of Nicosia and Lefkara.